FOXBORO, Mass. — N’Keal Harry and Tom Brady made up for lost time Tuesday on Day 1 of New England Patriots minicamp.
While most of the team broke off into punt coverage and return teams during the early stages of practice, Brady, Harry, tight end Ben Watson and running back James White spent the period working together in a small group, with the three pass-catchers running goal-line routes for the soon-to-be 42-year-old quarterback.
Harry, the Patriots’ top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, was the only wide receiver who took extra reps with Brady during the two-hour-long session.
“Just working on our craft,” Harry said after practice. “Tom’s working on his craft, I’m working on my craft. Those are just one of those periods where we focus on doing everything right, the little things right. We’ve got a long time. We’ll keep moving forward and be ready by the time the season comes.”
Harry did not have a chance to work with Brady during organized team activities, as Brady chose to skip those voluntary practices for the second consecutive year. In fact, the Arizona State product said after the Patriots’ third day of OTAs he had yet to even speak with his new signal-caller.
That changed two weekends ago when Brady, Harry and veteran wideout Julian Edelman gathered for a throwing session, photos of which later appeared on all three players’ social media accounts. Harry wouldn’t reveal who initiated the meet-up — which he said lasted an hour or two — but said he found it very helpful as he prepares for his first NFL season.
“Yeah, most definitely,” Harry said. “I feel like just being a professional, the biggest thing is what you do with your time and what you do with your off time. Of course, there’s a certain amount of hours you need to spend in this building, but what you when you have your own time and when you have some downtime is really what separates good (players) from greats.”
Harry, the first wide receiver drafted by the Patriots in the first round during the Bill Belichick era, was a standout performer during the team’s first open spring practice. Tuesday’s was more of a mixed bag for the 32nd overall selection, who made a few nice catches but appeared out of sync with his quarterback on multiple occasions and had just one reception on three targets during 11-on-11 drills.
It should be noted that Harry spent much of the practice matched up against Stephon Gilmore, the Patriots’ first-team All-Pro cornerback.
“Getting to compete against somebody like (Gilmore) is just going to make me better,” Harry said.
